Born for Trouble

A man who is the chairman of the board of one of the largest Christian publishing houses writes a blog I read several times a week. In today's post he talks about choices and circumstances in life and recounts his own history of challenging experiences:

• I have been fired (more than once).
• I have gone through a business failure.
• I have felt stuck in a job I hated.
• I have gone through a protracted and expensive IRS audit.
• I had to have emergency surgery when my gall bladder ruptured.
• I have had a child in rebellion and on drugs.
• I have had two daughters with chronic illnesses.
• I have lost money on three out of four houses I’ve owned.

First, I appreciated his vulnerability in reciting his history of less-than-ideal circumstances. Second, it reminded me of Job 5:7: "For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward."

Sometimes we look at other people and think their lives are less difficult than ours. The truth is, we just haven't heard their whole story. There is no escaping the challenges of life in a fallen world for any of us. (Michael Hyatt's post is available to read here.)